Although the focus is always about the product that a model is selling, if a model does not feel confident and beautiful, the product simply will not sell and that is why models should be treated as more than mannequins. It is a model's confidence and belief that allows them to perform well.

People who are around models outside of a professional setting treat models with a high level of respect and favoritism but in the work place it can be brutal. So it is essential for a model to feel confident and beautiful to the extent that she can overcome what a photographer or director may say about her and in order to sell a product.

Just as a manager may fire his or her employees for a small mistake and solely focus on the work they produce instead of their work ethic, it is the same for models but it can be worse because the work is highly focused on their appearance.. So instead of a manager complaining about an employee sending something to the wrong place, a photographer may fire a model from a job because her calf is too big or because her boobs simply aren't big enough.

So if anyone says that a model's job is the easiest thing in the world, they simply don't know what they're talking about. A model who is 100 lbs can be called fat by someone in the industry even though she may actually be underweight according to society. For the most part, it is not that models desire to starve themselves, it is because they are so passionate about their careers that they go to extreme lengths to continue doing what they love.

When I used to desire to pursue modeling as a career, I was told that having my hair longer than it was is simply something I couldn't do because I was a petite (short) model. I was disappointed because I desired to have long hair but was content with it at the time because I thought modeling was what I truly wanted to do even though I had to find a way to be a runway model even though I am short.

I later realized that because I was already considered a late bloomer at age 21 to be a model and I was actively pursuing other opportunities in the fashion industry, I gave up on that dream and I felt much better knowing I could wear my hair longer and not have to alter my appearance in order to make money.

To be a successful model you simply have to understand the roles that designers, photographers, directors, etc play so you understand that everything that is suggested is not personal. These people are passionate about what they do and their sole focus is to ensure that whatever project they're working on is successful. So if they suggest that your birthmark is ruining their shot (photo) or that they are concerned about the almost invisible arm cleavage that you are exposing, it is simply because they envisioned how they want their work of art to be displayed and every little detail is important.

It's not personal, it's business and that's why they see models as mannequins just as other businesses see employees as profit-producers but that doesn't mean that's how things should be done. A model must work hard to do the work of memorizing lines for commercials, attempting to make staged pictures seem natural and walking in 7 inch heels down the runway without falling. In addition, they must be strong enough in their belief about themselves to not only do the job in spite of what's going on in their personal lives but also in spite of what is being told to them so bluntly while doing the actual job..

People who work with models need to see things from a model's perspective and realize that models will perform better when they are treated as people will feelings and not as mannequins.